Robe-rail lock.



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Zif/ TME@ 656 I. wf LEsHER. ROBE RAIL LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21 1915.

Patented NOV. 30, 1915.

#from/Ens naar. wi. Lnsnnn, or CLEVELAND, omo,

i 'I To all .whom it may concern.'

f citizen ofthe United States,v and 'following isa speciication,

`SSIIGrNOR.l T0 THE' M1']GHANKGALl PRODUCTS comraNY, or oLEvELANn, omo, A oonPonA'rroNoF omo.

a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usetul-Im-- provement in Robe-Rail Locks, of which the the princlple of'l 'Be it known 'that I, EARL Specification of Letters Patent.

. vthe inventionbeing herein' explained and the. 4

' Iit from other inventions.`

best mode in which I have contemplated ap- 4, plying that principle, so as to dlstinguish v Thesubject of the ,presenti invention is a `device' adapted for use 1n locking robes,

y the baek'of the.

-be hung coats, robes,

` blankets and artlcles of,.c1othing to arail, 15

and will be of particular use in -automobiles which generally havea rail extendlng across front seats upon which ,may-

etc. No effective. means.. for locking'theserobes and coats'to the rail haveyetbeen provided and the present device is intended to. p rovide a simple but ef- I fective mechanism for this purpose..

' description set forth in detail certain mechation.

closed means constituting, however, but one principle of. the- I Tovthe accomplishment ofthe foregoing and related ends, said invent1on,.th en, com. sists of the means4 hereinafter lfully descrlbed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the 'following nism embodying the invention, fsuch disof various mechanical' forms in which they invention may be used. In said annexed drawing z-.fFigure 1 is af view in'. perspective showingthe back of a' front seat in a vehicle ,provided with a rail to which a robe is clamped by my device; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the device when closed; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of thev device, the plane of the section being indi, cated by the line S-B'in Fig. Il; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 in Fig.-A 3; Fig. 5 is a view of a* detail of construe'- 1 'Patented Nov. eaters.

in any -desired relation,as the robes and coats which will beheld will be of varying thickness, and if there' are only atcertaln vspecified number of positions, then 1n some l connected jawsbe capable of being' locked i instances the robe will not be 'held' se`c`urely,-

since the jaws cannotbe spaced an' exact dis'- tance apart equal tothe thickness of the robef Accordingly I have providedfmeans for locking the jaws in any desired relation, and it is only necessary to place thewdevlce over the robe as illustrated in Fig.A 1, move' the jaws together `until they securely engage and bite` or grip the article which is being held. The locking mechanism thereafter .maintains the jaws in this relation until the device .is-unlocked, when the jaws'may be spaced apart, and the device removed.

Attached to one of the jaws is a resilient shoe 4, best shown in Fig. 5, which is-rnounted at an angle to the plane of the side of such jaw upon a suitable screw or' stud 5, and is normally maintained in such position by means of av strong spring `6 disposed be'- tween the side of the jaw `and `the shoe.

Upon the' other of the twoy `jaws there is mounted an arcuate rod 7 all points of which'are equidistant fromthe' pivotal axis of the two jaws, such rod extending through l'an aperture 8 formed in the shoe 4 andbeing provided with a head 9 which prevents the f rod from being withdrawn'fromjsuch aperture. The aperture 8 is formed in the -v shoe 'fl 'in 'such position that this shoe when pressed in the direction given it 'by the spring 6 will cause the' 'edges of the shoe tion; and Figs. Gand -7 arel partial end views "f about fthe aperture' to frictionally engage and grip into the sides of the' rod, thus maintaining the rod against movement `away from the shoe.'` Ifthe rod ispulled away.

-fromthe shoe' the friction .between the rod. "and .shoewi'll cause the latter to'be pulled even farther'4 away from the side of the jaw' vto whichit is' attached, thus causing 'the sides ofthe shoe about the aperture `8 to'grip the shoe, the friction between the shoe and' "therod..even more`iirmly. If therodisrod'will move the-shoe inward, thus releasingthe grip 'of the shoe on .the'rod As soon as' moi'em'ent ceasesthe'shoe will bereturned 'into affrictional engagementv with the rod therebetweenagainst lateral displacement. It is highly desirable' that the twopivotally by "means of the spring 6.

^ tween the two "jaws',",as indicated, and are shoe are mounted be? I 'j v`normally covered by means of a plate which is attached to the jaw `1 and 1s pro-4 v-ided with a flange 11 parallel wlththe sidev of the jaw 2 when the la'tterlis in the closed position of the device.

` mechanism is securely closed against being tampered with, and isadditional'ly. covered cally `operative to lock agalnst opemng 1n each jaw.

by means ofthe broad flanges v12 formed on Itwill be seen that the device is automatiany desired poSitiOn, although the jaws can Q. still be movedc'loser together, as such action i, releases the engagementbetween the shoe and thercd. In order to permit opening of Ithejaws for removal'of the device. from i .i f whatever it is attached to, and toA still make this removal impossible for any one but the lawful owner, locking mechanism is provided which can be actuated from -,outs1de of the device, and 1t will be vobvious that this locking mechanism can be actuated'either by a key or by the combination means which are here illustrated. It is only necessary, in

rderto release the frictional .engagement "between vthe shoe and the rod, td r/nove A'the s'h'ce toward the jaw to which it is attached,

and this can be done by displacing' this shoe i "by vmeans of a plunger 13 reciprocably 'mounted in the device between the jaws and inormally maintained' out of contact with the .shoe by means'of the spring 14. plunger'is provided externally of the jaws This " with a knob or handle 15 which may be used by the operator to depress the rod and unlcclethe jaws. ,In the' present construction I have emi v"ployed-this plunger as' a part of a combinationlock, the'knob 15 being provided with numbers arranged at intervals around its periphery and adapted to serve in the same --u-ay that lthe numbers usually'serve in the dialof a combination lock. 1 A.the jaws andencircling the plunger is a disk '45- Fixed between orvstationary..tumbler -16 provided with A.a

Vslot-17 adjacent to the plunger. Disposed in w contact with this' stationary tumbler 17 is a L .second rotatable tumbler 18 which is provided with a plurality of notches 19 of equal ,s A50 lengtl1..and a long notch 01 slot 20, such lon -slot 2.0 being ofthe same length and width 1 f as ,the slot 17 in thev tumbler 16. Attached v tothe d1sk18 is a lug or shoulder 21 which @Olontlie tumbler, 1 8 registers with the slot 17 permittin :sa

ris adapted to be engaged by a pin 22 at- 55 taehed to the plunger.

' f In order to operate the combination and l release the device, the plunger 13 is first rotated until the pin 22 engages the lng, 21. It

is'then `again, rotated until the long slot 20 in the stationary disk 16.', The plunger is then depressed. the Din or ,lug 22 passing thrcugh' the registeringslots17. and 20. thus the plungerjto; be depressed to such andistance thatI thelend contacts `the In this way the' 'circumference of theknobr 15 in connection with the starting polnt on the' jaws indicated by the projectioni26'.A 'In this particular the permutation `lock is similar to'others 1n general use'and will bev readily understood.

My device will be -seen to be automatically 'locking against spreading although permitting. further closingimovement: Furthermore', the jaws are thus `Aautomatically locked at any desiredpoint, a'ording al multitude of adjustments and giving a secure gripon any article irrespective of its'thickness.

l Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be'employed-instead of the one explained, change' being made as re- 'gards" the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the'means statedby any of the following claimsor the equivalent offsuch -stated means be employed.`

I therefore particularly point out and distinctlygclaim as .my invention 1A f 1. A-device of theclas's-described comprising pivotallyigrnounted jaws, and members attached to said jaws and-.normally frictionallygrippincr eac'liT therlto preventmiovement of said ja\vsa\vay vfrom each other, said members having a sliding frictional engagement. i'

2.A device of the` class described 'comprising lpivotally mounted jaws, anareuate rod attached to one of said ,jaws and disposed concentrically aboutithe axis of said jaws,y and a resilient iplatefattached to the other of sai d;jaws and normally .resiliently engaging" said rod' to prevent movement `of said jaws apart. 1v f Y A device .of the classk described comprising pivotally mountedjaws, a curved apertured plate attached to oneof saidimembers, 'an arcuate rodattachedtto the other concentrically about its axis, said rod extending through the apertureiin said plate and being resiliently gripped thereby. and means for moving said plate into a disenga ging position.`

., 4. A device of the class described compris;

fing pivotally connected jaws,..an"apertured resilient ymember attached .to-one of .said jaws, 'a second'member attached-to the yother of sald Ajaws and extending through the aperture in said resilient membei-the latter vbeing normally. at an angle to said second N Fmember adapting itto frictionally grip the displace said resilient member,

adapted to thereby disenga ging the' same from saidl second memsaine, and locking mechanism 5. A device of the class .described comprising pivotally connected jaws, a shoe attached to one of saidv jaws and having an f'aper'tiire therein, Ya rod attached to the other each other.

and extending ythrough such of said aws Vaperture in said shoe, said shoe being positioned and constructed to normally grip said rod to prevent`movement of said jaws apart, and a member movably mounted on one of said jaws and adapted when moved 'to displace said shoe from its rodengaging position thereby permitting movement of said jaws awayfrom, as well as toward,

tioned and constructed to normally grip `said rod to prevent' movement of said jaw apart, and a plunger reciprocably mounted in said device and adapted when actuated iii-fone direction to contactand displace said shoe "from its rod engaging-position.

l7 'A device of the class described coni-- prising pivotally connected'jaws, friction'al means for'locking said jaws against opening, la plunger adapted to release said frictional means from engagement with -said jaws, and permutation lock mechanism for controlling the movement of said plunger.

8. A device ofr the class described, comprising pivotally connected jaws, a shoe pivotally attached 'to one of said jaws and 4having an aperture therein, a rod-attached ,to the other of .said jaws and extending through such aperture in said shoe, means normally forcing saidshoe into frictional v .engagement with'said rod thereby preventprising pivotally connected jaws, a shoeso ling movement-of said jaws apart.

- 9..A device of theclass described compivotally attached to one of said jaws and `having an aperture therein, a rod attached to the other of said jaws and extending through such. aperture in said shoe, resilient means normally forcing said shoe into frictional engagement with said rod, thereby preventing movement of said jaws apart.

10. A device of the class described comprising pivotally connected jaws, a shoe at- Atachedto one of said jaws, and having anl .aperture therein, a rod attached to the. other of'said jaws andextendingthrough such aperture in said shoe, resilient means normally forcingsaid shoe into frictional engagement with said .rod lthereby preventing movement. of said jaws apart, and a memaperture therein,

and adapted when moved to displace said l shoe from its rod engaging position.

l 11. A device of the-classdescribed comprising pivotally connected'jaws, a shoe attached to one of said jaws, and having an of said kjaws and extending through such aperture in said-shoe, resilient ineans normally forcing said shoe into frictional engagement with said rod thereby preventing movement of said jaws apart, and a plunger reciprocably mounted on said device and adapted when actuated in one direction to contact and displace said shoe from its rod engaging position.

12. A device of the'class describedcoinprisingpivotally connected jaws, ashoe attached to one of said jaws, and having an aperture therein, a'rod attached to the other of said jaws and extending through such aperture in said shoe, resilient means normally forcing said shoe into frictional engagement wthsaid rod thereby preventing movement of 'said jaws apart, a plunger reciprocably mounted on said device and adapted when actuated in one direction to contact'and displace said shoe from its rod engaging position, and means adapted to lock said plunger against suoli actuation.

13. A device ofthe class described comprising pivotallyconnected jaws a shoe at- 'tached to one of v.said jaws, and'having an aperture therein, a rod attached to the other of said jaws and extending through such aperture in said shoe, resilient means normally forcing said shoe into frictional engagement with said'rod thereby preventing movement 'of said jaws apart, a plunger reciprocably mount d on said device and adapted when actuated in one direction to contact and displace said shoe fromits rod engaging position, means adapted to lock said plunger against such actuation, and combination locking means adapted to 'lock said plunger against such actuation.

14. A device'of the class described comprising pivotally connected jaws, a shoe attached to one of said jaws, and having an aperture therein, a rod attached to the other of said jaws and extending through such aperture in said shoe, resilient means nora rod attached to the other f mally forcing said shoe into frictional en- 1 gagement with said rod thereby preventing movement of said jaws apart, and locking mechanism adapted to displace said shoe from its rod engaging position.

15; A device of the class described comi prising pivotally connected jaws, a shoe attached to one of said jaws, andr having an aperture therein, a rodattached to the other of` said jaws and extending through such aperture `in said shoe, resilient means normally forcing said shoe into frictional engagementwith said rod thereby preventing movement of said jaws apart, and. combination locking mechanism adapted to displace said shoe from its rod engaging position. y v

1G. A device of the class described comprising -pivotally connected jaws, a shoe attached to oue of said jaws, and having an aperture therein, a rod attached to the other of said jaws and extending through such aperture in said shoe,resi1ient means normally forcing said shoe into frictlonal en- Copies of this patent may he obtained for gagement with said rod thereby preventing -imovement of said jaws apart, and combina-I tion locking mechanism including a plunger adapted, upon actuation of said mechanism,

to displace said shoe from its rod engaging position.. I

Signed yby `11105 this 12th lda)- of May 1915.

f EARL XV. LESHER.

Attested by THos. H. FAY,

MARY GLADWELL.

five cents each. by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D, C. 

